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White Manor Massacre
The Event In 1900 S.R. there was but one of the immortal Aelfe known to live in The Shining South, his legend to that point equal parts stirring heroism and red-handed villainy. He had spent decades in retirement in Quelosq's storied White Manor, but eventually decided to join his kinfolk across the sea to the north (who were already plotting the takeover of Tulles). To see off the "Last Aelfe of the South," he decided to throw himself a party, inviting representatives from noble houses and prominent groups from all the lands from The Dreaming West to The Eternal East. It was lavish an affair as Quelosq had ever known, a collection of dignitaries and wealth unseen since the time of the Great Kingdom. However it was a trap, for nebulous reasons the host had plotted to exterminate his guests. To this end he concealed a cursed symbol at the bottom of the cups of wine served when he made his toast: As the guests quaffed their wine, they were paralyzed by poisoned wine and they each beheld the cursed sign at the bottoms of their cups. It was at this juncture that the Aelfe lord said: Throughout his speech the ruby color of his eyes had poured down his face, leaving him with the blank spheres of a Fallen Aelfe. His departure was briefly delayed by a Bannerman of Hakeshar's then-ruling House Reirnas who had not partaken of the wine, but the Bannerman was quickly dispatched and the Aelfe departed with his retainers. When the poison wore off, the nature of cursed sign became clear, each of the guests perceptions were warped and their disturbed view of reality caused them to see each other as monsters and attack one another. In the course of the chaotic melee, the Manor caught fire. As the Aelfe's servants had barred the doors and windows, this led to everyone either being torn apart by the other guests or else felled by fire and smoke inhalation. The only survivor was one Kaddam il-Khan, of the Talvyr's Argent Horde, who managed to break through an upper story window and survive the drop to the courtyard. The manor burnt to ruins as the efforts to fight the fire came far too late. The ultimate fate of the Lord of the White Manor remains a mystery, as his fine boat was found scuttled at the bottom of Quelosq's harbor. Perhaps his kinfolk in Tulles know what became of him. Guests There were numerous guests attending the festivities. While many of them would have normally had some kind of a bodyguard present, they had all respected the wishes of their host and left them behind, trusting in their host's formidable reputation to see to their safety. Among the more notable attendees were: *'Ajax Epip': A Gozenrami dignitary and an informant in service to the Temple of The Spider. He had some minor magical tricks at his disposal, and was accompanied by a venomous spider which assisted his efforts as a temple informant, but neither of these saved him. He was decapitated in the melee by Arnkell Vigdis. *'Anasin Emid': The only uninvited guest, Anasin was a highly successful thief of his time. He had infiltrated the party to case it out for a burglary. He was stabbed to death in the melee by Reinkar Jabar. *'Arnkell ''"The Dwarf" Vigdis': The very human, self-styled Admiral of ''The Bleeding Whore led a motley and unlikely crew of Krotem, Mumuye, and Orcs. He was a successful privateer in service to the Lord of the White Manor. He burned to death in the fire-engulfed White Manor. *'Bjorg Niklas': A small-folk Orc, and one of the few of his kind to become a respectable merchant of that time. He was slashed to bits by Kaddam il-Khan. He was survived by a line of small Orcs who yet bear his name. *'Kaddam il-Khan': Next in line to leadership of the Argent Horde. He represented his tribe in place of his father, who was fighting a rival horde to become Magna-Khan. He was the sole survivor of the massacre, though he suffered several injuries and suffered lingering after-effects of the cursed sign. *'Lynetes Chobios': The self-styled Fleet Admiral of The White Lady was the first Krotem ship captain, and a rival to Arnkell Vigdis, a fellow privateer in service to the Lord of the White Manor. In contrast to the rowdy Vigdis and his filthy crew, Lynete and his crew of Men were regarded for their orderly and presentable nature. Left sprawling on the ground when his peg-leg was destroyed, he was trampled by a mob of crazed guests. *'Reinkar Jabar': A scion of a wealthy Marami Bey, known as "The Golden Flower". He was cut down in the melee by Kadam il-Khan. *'Yajan Whitemane': A powerful Anharr leader, who boasted such titles as the Roaming King, The Lord of the Western Plains, and Sire of a Thousand Prides. He was cut down in the melee by Kaddam il-Khan. Category:History